All Bran Recipe

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Re: All Bran Recipe

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still_stirrin wrote:If it ain’t broke....don’t fix it.
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that's what goose said somewhere eh

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Re: All Bran Recipe

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The bran also acts as a buffer to help prevent the pH crash frequently seen in sugar washes. It's a great recipe and makes a good neutral!
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Re: All Bran Recipe

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courtofjest wrote:I'm relatively new here, but I was making the all bran recipe and noticed that there are not any enzymes to break down the carbs in the wash. Would it help to add some malted barley to aid in breaking it down into sugars or is all-bran processed enough so that it does not matter?
Correct. This is a sugar wash recipe. The bran provides nutrients as stated, as well as buffering to the acid production as the ferment progresses. This too has been explained previously in this thread and as pointed out by RedwoodHillbilly, ACfixer, and rgreen.

The all bran recipe is an excellent base for a neutral, not particularly suited for a whiskey. But, it DOES make an excellent base for a gin...when you get to that recipe in the T&T.

UJSSM is better for that target (whiskey/bourbon), even though it too is a sugar wash (not a grain mash). Since these sugar washes utilize the sugar as the fermentable material, you don’t need enzymes to convert starches to sugars. Any grains added are for flavoring the sugar wash alone, not for potential alcohol.

Another is Odin’s corn flakes sugar wash recipe too. Corny flavor, but the alcohol comes from the sugar, not the cereal.

I hope you understand this difference (in the recipes). It is fundamental to your knowledge base in the hobby. Trying to make the all bran into something that it isn’t will lead to frustration and cause you to question your processes.
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Re: All Bran Recipe

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still_stirrin wrote: I hope you understand this difference (in the recipes). It is fundamental to your knowledge base in the hobby. Trying to make the all bran into something that it isn’t will lead to frustration and cause you to question your processes.
ss
+100.... this is a KEY copncept. Repeated failure because of something impossible will drive you out of the hobby. This would be akin to trying to change lead into gold...over and over and over again with the unexpected result of it not working... :mrgreen:
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Re: All Bran Recipe

Post by Spriit Tisler »

Fancy, I had all bran going on for 7 full days now and it's still going on. It has always been done&cleared before. I quess it's the temperature. Does it hurt to let it sit for another week, because I've got a job related trip in few days and I'll be back at next wednesday?
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Re: All Bran Recipe

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Spriit Tisler wrote:Fancy, I had all bran going on for 7 full days now and it's still going on. It has always been done&cleared before. I quess it's the temperature. Does it hurt to let it sit for another week, because I've got a job related trip in few days and I'll be back at next wednesday?
Won’t hurt it at all. Just keep it under airlock. Have a safe trip.
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Re: All Bran Recipe

Post by artooks »

Spriit Tisler wrote:Fancy, I had all bran going on for 7 full days now and it's still going on. It has always been done&cleared before. I quess it's the temperature. Does it hurt to let it sit for another week, because I've got a job related trip in few days and I'll be back at next wednesday?
What is your OG ?
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Re: All Bran Recipe

Post by courtofjest »

still_stirrin wrote:
courtofjest wrote:I'm relatively new here, but I was making the all bran recipe and noticed that there are not any enzymes to break down the carbs in the wash. Would it help to add some malted barley to aid in breaking it down into sugars or is all-bran processed enough so that it does not matter?
Correct. This is a sugar wash recipe. The bran provides nutrients as stated, as well as buffering to the acid production as the ferment progresses. This too has been explained previously in this thread and as pointed out by RedwoodHillbilly, ACfixer, and rgreen.

The all bran recipe is an excellent base for a neutral, not particularly suited for a whiskey. But, it DOES make an excellent base for a gin...when you get to that recipe in the T&T.

UJSSM is better for that target (whiskey/bourbon), even though it too is a sugar wash (not a grain mash). Since these sugar washes utilize the sugar as the fermentable material, you don’t need enzymes to convert starches to sugars. Any grains added are for flavoring the sugar wash alone, not for potential alcohol.

Another is Odin’s corn flakes sugar wash recipe too. Corny flavor, but the alcohol comes from the sugar, not the cereal.

I hope you understand this difference (in the recipes). It is fundamental to your knowledge base in the hobby. Trying to make the all bran into something that it isn’t will lead to frustration and cause you to question your processes.
ss
I did actually up the bran ratio quite a bit, added pearl barley, a bit of corn meal, and then converted a fair bit of sugar with malted barley. I added sugar to bring the gravity up and fermented to 1.0 before distilling in a pot still. The flavor actually came through very nicely and I'm quite pleased with it.

Looks like I absolutely made it into something it is not (without realizing its true purpose as a sugar wash) and it worked well for me luckily.

I'll give the original recipe a try next, I've heard it turns out great by many people.
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Re: All Bran Recipe

Post by Spriit Tisler »

My longer-than-usual batch was well finished and I stripped it. I though added some leftovers from liquor and punch and I got total of 8 liters of strippings that have somewhat around 60% abv. I did not bother to run lower than 35% or 97C though. Gonna spirit it tomorrow if I've got the time and meanwhile I put in 5g/l of sodium carbonate in there to compress the heads and tails, hoping to get max hearts out of it.

EDIT Spirit ran it today, and it all got down to 2.5 liters of pure hearts at 95ABV which appears to have very neutral odor, with hints of ethanol and very distant aroma off all-bran. From 8 liters of 60% I distilled total of about 4 liters, which of hearts was collected about 55%, discarding two extra 150ml glasses just in case. During all the distillation it sat tight at 78.6C which is corrected to 78.2 from barometer count, and only at the end slowly rised to 78.7, and then jumped to 79.6 for a moment and then began the swing from 79 to 82 at when tails kicked in and I stopped.

I need to refine some of my equipment and work habits for smoother operation. Need to weld a new valve outlet to bottom of my boiler to eliminate the need to move that piece of junk for emptying and cleaning. I also broke my most expensive 4-liter boiling flask which set me back for 200 bucks. :evil:

Next week it shall be the corn whiskey.

BTW, I added about third of a kilo of rolled oats (the porridge stuff) to the all-bran wash, because I feel it adds smoothness to the end product.
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Re: All Bran Recipe

Post by dee_stiller »

Another thread completed and noted. A must try recipe. In absentia, thanks very much Rad.
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Re: All Bran Recipe

Post by Brunojack »

I got through all 64 pages!

Have a batch going now. Sounds like this is THE one to do. My initial sg was 1.104. Seemed high comparing to everyone else. Potential abv of just under 14%.
I did use different yeast. Still Spirits vodka distillers yeast. Says it can tolerate 14% alcohol. Started slow. After 24 hours airlock was bubbling once every 3-5 seconds. At 36 hours it was steady bubbling.

Currently at 96 hours after pitching. Airlock is slowing down to 1 burp/5 sec. Noticing some sediment forming on bottom. Going to let it finish, then clear and will report back.
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Re: All Bran Recipe

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Wow. Waited until the wash looked like apple juice. I ran this through my Pstill. My 1st "real" run. Definitely could tell the first bit wasnt something you wanted to imbibe.
Ended up chucking the first 150 ml just to be conservative. Collected a bit under 2 quarts in 12 jars. I was running real slow. Kept the 3 jars on each end for feints. I should have kept track of the abv better. The end of run was at 45%. I know I probably could have been more efficient.

I diluted the middle jars to 80 proof after letting them air out overnight. Added my tequila essence. That was absolutely the smoothest booze I have ever had in my life!! At first I was wondering if there was any alcohol in it!!!

Thank you Rad and fizzix and everyone else who helped me to get to this point!
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Re: All Bran Recipe

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Brunojack wrote:Wow. Waited until the wash looked like apple juice. I ran this through my Pstill. My 1st "real" run. Definitely could tell the first bit wasnt something you wanted to imbibe.
Ended up chucking the first 150 ml just to be conservative. Collected a bit under 2 quarts in 12 jars. I was running real slow. Kept the 3 jars on each end for feints. I should have kept track of the abv better. The end of run was at 45%. I know I probably could have been more efficient.

I diluted the middle jars to 80 proof after letting them air out overnight. Added my tequila essence. That was absolutely the smoothest booze I have ever had in my life!! At first I was wondering if there was any alcohol in it!!!

Thank you Rad and fizzix and everyone else who helped me to get to this point!
You ran a 14 wash once through a pot and like it?
Try running it twice next time to see if you can tell the difference
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Re: All Bran Recipe

Post by Brunojack »

"You ran a 14 wash once through a pot and like it?
Try running it twice next time to see if you can tell the difference"

As in collecting everything except the first 100 ml and running it again without diluting?
That would be a much higher abv wash running through the still. I am thinking a 2nd run would remove more flavor and result in higher abv during the entire process. This is the so called stripping run followed by a spirit run? As I understand it..stripping runs can be done at a very fast rate..correct?

I did my run real slow...probably collected for 4 hours or more.

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Re: All Bran Recipe

Post by Blackbeard »

rad14701 wrote:Recipe

* 2 gallons water
* 7 cups white sugar
* 2 cups All-Bran Flakes cereal
* 4 tbsp Fleischmann's dry active yeast
* 1/4 tsp 20-20-20

Process

* Inverted sugar in 8 cups water for 30 minutes
* Boiled cereal in 4 cups water for 30 minutes
* Allowed invert sugar and cereal to cool to 95F
* Pitched yeast and aerated for 1 hour
* Added 1/4 tsp 20-20-20 and airlocked.
Can you please clarify what 20-20-20 is and your final ABV target please?
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Re: All Bran Recipe

Post by Swedish Pride »

Brunojack wrote:"You ran a 14 wash once through a pot and like it?
Try running it twice next time to see if you can tell the difference"

As in collecting everything except the first 100 ml and running it again without diluting?
That would be a much higher abv wash running through the still. I am thinking a 2nd run would remove more flavor and result in higher abv during the entire process. This is the so called stripping run followed by a spirit run? As I understand it..stripping runs can be done at a very fast rate..correct?

I did my run real slow...probably collected for 4 hours or more.

Bear with me as I am a Noob with a capital N!
If it were me I'd stripp as hard as you could until the collected booze is about 30% abv, then do a slow spirit run.
A few do a single distillation but would not be to many.

yep second run gives you srtonger booze but also cleaner tasting and better seperation the fractions.
you'll still get smearing and a lot of flavour through a pot still doign two runs
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Re: All Bran Recipe

Post by still_stirrin »

Blackbeard wrote:Can you please clarify what 20-20-20 is and your final ABV target please?
Fertilizer.

20% nitrogen (which is a nutrient to yeast, but can result in ammonia in the ferment if excessive amounts are used). 20% phosphorus (which is essential for yeast healthy budding/reproduction). And 20% potassium, which also is somewhat a yeast nutrient, although not quite as critical of a nutrient to the yeast as the other elements. However, it is now a chemical which is more regulated because of its “bomb-making” potential.

20-20-20 fertilizer is hard to find with that high of phosphorus and potassium content. Flower fertilizers may have it, but at a higher price....Miracle Gro, for example.

I use a 10-10-0 fertilizer (at the same rate as recommended in the recipe). And I pulverize the fertilizer in a mortar and pestle before adding to the stock pot where I simmer the ingredients before adding to the fermenter.

The vitamin B pills are important to this recipe as well. They provide a good nutrient for yeast metabolism. Spent yeast cells are also a great source of vitamin B. Even health food stores sell dried yeast (denatured, of course) as a food supplement.
ss

p.s.-A good starting gravity target for the all bran recipe would be 1.070-1.075, which will get you to around 10%ABV (potential). Don’t try to push it higher as you’ll start to get fermentation off flavors in the wash and finished product.
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Re: All Bran Recipe

Post by Brunojack »

"If it were me I'd stripp as hard as you could until the collected booze is about 30% abv, then do a slow spirit run.
A few do a single distillation but would not be to many.

yep second run gives you srtonger booze but also cleaner tasting and better seperation the fractions.
you'll still get smearing and a lot of flavour through a pot still doign two runs"

Alright. I will give that method a try next time then. I honestly appreciate the advice bro! Thanks.
Have read about that in the new member section, the parent site and other places I'm sure. But it seems to hit home better in the context of this recipe. I know spoonfeeding is frowned upon and I understand why...I believe there was some posts in this recipe thread about reading a hydrometer! and other basic methods. Made it a little frustrating for me (a complete and total n00b). But I now have 1 successful run, looking forward to the next.
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Re: All Bran Recipe

Post by Brunojack »

I have a question concerning this recipe.

Do you guys think when you boil the cereal with the water you are extracting all or enough of the nutrients to have a successful ferment? In other words, is it necessary to include the cereal mush in the fermenter?
Seems like you could have a cleaner ferment without the mush.
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Re: All Bran Recipe

Post by Brunojack »

Wow..this has taken off! I did add some DAP this time
Huge difference.
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Re: All Bran Recipe

Post by fizzix »

That DAP is a godsend.
I looked for an answer to your boiling question, Brunojack, and couldn't find anything.
When I did Cornflake Whiskey I left the boiled cereal in the ferment. Might as well.
Just siphoned off to the cereal bed when it was done.
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Re: All Bran Recipe

Post by Brunojack »

I'm a believer in dap now. Airlock isn't so much bubbling..but a constant stream of gas emitted.

Yeah, I ended up dumping everything from the kettle in..too much liquid tied up with the cereal mush. Like you said fizzix..just siphon off of it when done.
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Re: All Bran Recipe

Post by Wolfairious »

Are people getting better results with the 20-20-20 than the epson salt? Epson salt is so much easier to get why are not more people using it?
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Re: All Bran Recipe

Post by fizzix »

Wolfairious wrote:Are people getting better results with the 20-20-20 than the epson salt? Epson salt is so much easier to get why are not more people using it?
I use Epsom in conjunction with DAP (which is a substitute for 20-20-20) as they each have a function.
Epsoms provides the magnesium for cell division and clumping, and 20-20-20 (or DAP) is a nutrient to keep the yeast "energized" and healthy.
So it's really not a matter of one over the other.
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Re: All Bran Recipe

Post by dirtybird33 »

So how much dap are you using?

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Re: All Bran Recipe

Post by still_stirrin »

dirtybird33 wrote:So how much dap are you using?
I use 1/8 teaspoon per gallon.
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Re: All Bran Recipe

Post by dirtybird33 »

Thanks. I might pick some up and try it. I have never used it. Do you add it when you start the wash or do you add it mid ferment. (I know some yeast nutrients are added mid ferment)

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Re: All Bran Recipe

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dirtybird33 wrote:Thanks. I might pick some up and try it. I have never used it. Do you add it when you start the wash or do you add it mid ferment. (I know some yeast nutrients are added mid ferment)
In 5~6 gallons, right before I pitch the yeast I put in the DAP, pinch of Epsoms, a crushed vitamin B-complex, and a dash of gypsum.
Aerate until a froth remains, throw in a brew bag containing a fistful of crushed oyster shell (for pH buffering), and then the yeast and cover.
That's the whole chemistry set as-is, all built on advice from here at Home Distiller and I've never had a stall or failure of any kind.
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Re: All Bran Recipe

Post by equilibrium »

Several pages back, Odin mentioned he filtered his water prior to diluting. I was under the impression that giving the water a quick boil, cool down and then using it for dilution would be enough. That being said, where I live (Norway), we have clean tap water. Drinkable directly from the faucet. But it still made me wounder. Should I filter it, or even distill it?

Other than that this recipe seems pretty straight forward. Will do a strip run, then do a neutral run through my VM still. Look forward to try it out!
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Re: All Bran Recipe

Post by Paymanz »

high amount of yeast in this recipe ,2tbsp of yeast for 3.5 cup of sugar , so whats the purpose for aeration?
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